


Mask off

by AliaMael



Category: Subarashiki Kono Sekai | The World Ends With You
Genre: (Once again there's too much alcohol for legit consent), Alcohol, Angst, Dubious Consent, Friends With Benefits, M/M, Smoking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-18
Updated: 2020-11-18
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:47:24
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,487
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27623582
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AliaMael/pseuds/AliaMael
Summary: Koki Kariya knows way more about, well, basically everything in the UG than anyone would think. It includes the people.And gods help him, but hecares.
Relationships: Kitaniji Megumi & Kariya Koki, Kitaniji Megumi/Kariya Koki
Kudos: 3





	Mask off

Koki had been in the UG for so long now that not only did he basically know everyone, he also saw everyone play the Game, become a Reaper and, for those who rose, get promoted. He was already a veteran when each of the current Officers entered the UG. So even if he avoided making waves on principle, he knew every one of them.

Konishi had been friendly as an iceberg from day one. Koki had talked to her once, then ignored her. (It was probably not playing in his favor in her book, but he didn't exactly want to be seen as an interesting pawn anyway so it worked out). Higashizawa, on the other hand, had befriended half of the Reapers in less than a week, so Koki had not bothered with getting close to him, assured that he would have someone to help him if he needed anything.

Sho… Sho was complicated. Koki genuinely liked him, but he was like a feral animal you could never tame. He could be relatively friendly one minute and insult you the next, or leave like the discussion was not happening. It had not deterred Koki, but he knew he was the only one actively trying to not be a jerk to Sho, so even when he got promoted Koki didn't stop seeking him out now and then.

And then there was Megumi. Koki wouldn't be caught dead (… alright, bad choice of word) acting familiar with the _Conductor_ , but the fact was that Megumi had perfected his facade of professionalism quite early… which left him pretty alone. And damn, Kariya could remember the day Megumi had become a Reaper, how he had tried to pretend he was fine before crumbling down as soon as Koki had gently pushed.

So yeah, Koki would _never_ allow Uzuki to find out, but weird as it was he still saw Megumi as a lonely kid in dire need of a friend. (When you got old enough, any new Reaper registered as a kid. Well, not _literally_ a kid, but they were all so _young_ …)

Technically, Megumi was socializing a lot more than anyone in the UG –save for Kariya– realized. He loved Shibuya, its streets, its buildings, its lights, but also its people, its crowds, its random or planified encounters, the warmth of _life_ , the voices, the laughter. Megumi was careful to stay discreet, but he was mingling with the living way more than even Def Märch.

(Not that it was not lonely too in a way, because he could never _fit_ anymore.)

But anyway, when Koki failed to catch a glance of him for several evenings in a row, he began to wonder if maybe something was wrong. Had the Composer caught Megumi and asked him to stop? Was Megumi drowning in whatever paperwork the Officers seemed to breathe? (Sho had spent enough time complaining about it to give it near mythical proportions.)

And so Koki bid Uzuki good night and instead of going home he went to the Dead God's Pad. He knew from experience that past the end of the afternoon it was solely Megumi's domain. And sure, the man was here.

Koki stopped at the entrance, taking in the too full ashtray, the two opened bottles on the table, the overwhelming smell of cigarette.

Something was _wrong_.

He cautiously came closer to Megumi, who didn't react at all. Sat on the couch, his elbows on the table, he had a half-empty glass in one hand, a lit cigarette in the other, and seemed to stare at nothing in particular. Koki sat down next to him; when the couch dipped under the added weight Megumi slowly blinked, coming out of his daze to look at Koki, confused.

His ever present glasses were on the table. His eyes were red and puffy.

Koki felt his heart break a little.

"Megumi, what's wrong?"

Megumi opened his mouth, then changed his mind and shrugged before finishing his glass in one go. Koki grabbed the bottle –the _second_ bottle, gods, he had already emptied one?– and put it away before he could pour himself a new glass.

"Talk to me?" Koki gently insisted.  
"I've got nothing to say."  
"That's so obviously false."

Koki hesitated.

"You cried," he said. "What happened?"

Megumi brought his cigarette to his lips. Koki realized how badly his hands were shaking.

"Megumi, you're worrying me…"  
"Then leave."  
"That's not how it works and you know it."

There was a silence. Koki was trying to find a way to reach Megumi, who was smoking without looking at him. His cigarette almost finished, he clumsily got a new one from the pack to light it directly from the previous one.

Megumi's fingers were uncooperative enough that he almost dropped the packet several times… and Koki saw.

For a few seconds he thought Megumi had blood on his palm, but maybe the truth was worse. Koki took Megumi's hand in his own; Megumi froze.

"Let me see?" Koki asked.

Megumi's hand went limp, not opening by itself but not resisting either, so Koki turned it palm up and gently uncurled Megumi's fingers.

He had been right, and he hated it.

"What happened?" Koki repeated softly, staring at the numbers counting down.  
"I… I had to."

A little more than two weeks left. Whatever it was, things were going to get worse before it got better. (Gods, Koki hoped it would get better.)

"You shouldn't hole yourself in here," Koki said. "Even if you don't feel like just going out, you're always welcome at my place, you know it, right?"

Megumi shook his head, and Koki was ready to insist when Megumi cut him.

"I can't get out. Or, well, technically I can if I have no other choice for work. That's all."  
"You… That's your Entry Fee?"

Megumi nodded, eyes on the empty bottle.

That was cruel. Players could at least _act_ but Megumi was stuck directing things from the sidelines, and for a far longer time. Players didn't even had to go through the nights consciously!

"I should have come sooner…" Koki said.  
"You couldn't know."

He would have needed Megumi to call him to know, but Megumi never reached out.

Somewhere deep inside of him, Koki could feel _anger_ slowly beginning to burn. Megumi didn't deserve to be treated like this.

Then Megumi planted the butt of his cigarette in the ashtray, turned toward Koki and kissed him.

His lips tasted of cigarette and alcohol. Koki gently pushed him away.

"You don't mean that," he pointed out, as kind as he knew how to.  
"I… you're right," Megumi admitted. "I don't mean it… but I need it."

For the first time of the evening, Megumi was deliberately looking at Koki, and his eyes were pleading.

"You're drunk…" Koki protested.  
"Not enough," Megumi countered, managing somehow to convey how he blamed Koki stealing his bottle for that.  
"You should get some rest–"  
" _Please._ "

Koki was too weak to resist that tone of utter exhaustion and heartbreak. He pulled Megumi to him and fitted their lips together. Megumi moaned and immediately tried to turn the kiss more heated, clinging to Koki as if he could save him from his misery. Koki let him take the lead. He had no desire for Megumi, but he could see it was the only help he could give him right now and he did want to help his friend.

Way too fast, Megumi was straddling Koki, fighting to keep kissing him despite his ragged breathing. Koki was gently caressing his shoulders, his back, and everywhere his fingers only encountered tense muscles. When he finally convinced himself to slide lower to cup Megumi's ass, Megumi's hips jerked, pressing his erection against Koki's belly.

Not drunk, maybe, but Koki was pretty sure that without alcohol Megumi would not have been so desperately, urgently aroused.

"Please, _please_ …" Megumi sobbed.  
"Take me to bed first," Koki gently asked.

Megumi got up on unsteady legs. (Maybe a bit drunk, then.) He dragged Koki toward a small room, half leaning on him to stay upright, then pushed him down on the bed.

Despite Megumi's eagerness, there was no way Koki could get interested in these circumstances, but he had no problem using his hands to pleasure his friend. Megumi came fast, then finally relaxed, melting against the sheets.

Then he started to softly cry, breaking Koki's heart anew.

Koki hugged him tight, whispering reassurance until Megumi fell asleep.

(Megumi woke up twice during the night, panicked and confused each time, and Koki had a hard time calming him down.)

In the morning, Megumi was composed once more, but now Koki could see right through him. Megumi apologized for his behavior and promised it wouldn't happen again.

Koki didn't say anything, but knew he would be at the Pad earlier this evening.

(He also knew it wouldn't be enough.)

(It would get worse before...)


End file.
